With October seeming to be the new September and November the new October we have to change the way we think about fall, at least this year. Here are a few hints from the Acton Garden Club!
- Clean up. Get as much cleaning done in the fall when the soils are drier. Consider leaving the leaves and mulching them with a lawn mower and consider leaving the plants like Black-eyed Susan’s (Redbeckia sp), Sedum, Astilbe, ornamental grasses and others which serve as a source of seed for birds.
- If you have issues with moles or voles, cut back the foliage and clear the leaves.
- Move house plants indoors. Cover your tender plants as night temperatures drop.
- Divide and move perennials such as daylilies, bearded iris, peonies, hostas and garden phlox.
- Pot up attractive annuals like sweet potato vine and coleus to use as winter houseplants.
- Pot up your rosemary and bring it indoors. Use pebbles in the bottom of the pot for good drainage. Keep the soil slightly damp. Drying out may prove fatal. Put it in a cool, sunny location.
- Plant your spring bulbs now, or ideally 4-6 weeks before the ground freezes, for good root formation. Consider daffodils, snow drops, Leuconium. Avoid planting tulips and crocuses, since they are favorite bulbs of our very large population of chipmunks and squirrels.
- Dig and store tender flowers for winter storage.
- Before a frost – Geraniums, tuberous begonias, caladiums.
- After a frost – Canna and Dahlia. Allow to air dry, then pack in dry peat moss or vermiculite, and store in a cool, airy location space.
- Apply limestone to soil where clematis, lavender, delphinium, gypsophila, lilac and dianthus plants are growing. These plants require a higher pH. Apply lime if needed. Check soil pH. Lime will have enough time to adjust the soil pH by next spring.
- Prep your garden tools for the winter. Clean hand tools, remove dirt. Sharpen blades. Drain hoses and irrigation lines before freezing temperatures arrive. Drain gas lines of mowers and weed whackers. Change the oil if needed. Consider going electric for the future. Clean out sprayers.
Now that you are indoors, here are a few hints for the indoor gardener.
Think about forcing Thanksgiving or Christmas cactus into bloom in time for the holidays. You must provide 15 hours of complete darkness each day from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. for approximately eight weeks. Keep the temperature at about 60-65 degrees. A temperature of 55 degrees will cause the flower buds to set without the dark treatment.
Water indoor plants less. Discontinue fertilizer. Put them in a sunny spot, such as west- or south-facing windows.
Judy Dembsey is chair of environmental education for the Acton Garden Club.
Ann Marie Testarmata is chair of public relations for the Acton Garden Club.
